Beer for Dinner

Bob’s Chili Con Carne with Habanero and Beans
version 10

Makes around six bowls of chili.

In addition to the usual kitchen hardware you will need:

• a crockpot, slow cooker or simmering element. A regular stove boiler element is generally too hot.

You will need the following ingredients:

• 800 mg of lean (but not extra lean) ground beef (about 28 ounces)
• 800 ml of crushed tomatoes (about 28 fl oz.)
• 540 ml tin of mixed beans (20 fl oz.) If you are in Canada, you won’t go wrong with the Unico version of this. In a pinch, a tin of kidney beans will do
• 1 medium sized onion (I like red, but any onion will do)
• 3 tbsp of bacon fat recovered from salt-reduced bacon
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp garlic powder (or half a bulb of very finely chopped garlic)
• 3 tbsp of New Mexican chilli powder (regular American style works OK too)
• 1 tbsp (or so) of dry oregano. I’ve never measured out oregano in my life, prefering instead to throw it in by the pinch. But this is around the amount I’m using
• 1 tsp cayenne powder
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper. About eight full grinds of the pepper mill ought to do it
• 2 big habanero peppers. Scotch bonnets can be used instead for their heat, but won’t impart the flavour we’re after.
• 125 ml of water (about 1/2 of a cup)

Now I know what you are thinking, “¿dos habaneros? ¿está él loco?“* Keep reading and you’ll find out how we control the heat from the habanero.

Traditional chili recipes call for suet, but the bacon fat adds a most interesting flavour. Besides, you’ll get to eat a bunch of bacon sometime before this — ain’t nothing wrong with that! Bacon fat will keep for months in the fridge, so don’t feel as if you have to cook it the night before. The easiest way to get it is to cook a quarter kilo of bacon in a frypan until it is brown, not black, then pour off the excess fat into a ramekin. Cover the ramekin and put it in the fridge. Any chunks will settle to the bottom, leaving clean white bacon fat at the top. Use only the top two thirds of the fat — chuck the rest. It is important to use salt-reduced bacon, not just because it’s better for you, but to control the amount of salt. Crushed tomatoes have salt, the beans have salt, and the beef has salt. Add to this some regular bacon fat, and you will have a chili that tends to be too salty. You can add more salt if you like, but you can never take salt away, so we err on the side of caution here.

This recipe should fill your average crockpot maybe three quarters of the way up. Set your slow cooker to “Auto” or your stove to low. Chili has to be carefully simmered or it will burn and taste funny. If you see little bubbles at the sides of the pot (slow cooker) or a few in the middle every second (stove top), this is good. If the top is vigorously bubbling like a young pasta sauce — too hot. Cook the beef and put it, along with any fat it yields, into the slow cooker along with the bacon fat, and the tomatoes. Chop up the onion and throw it in there too. Most brands of crushed tomatoes don’t have enough water in them so add some or all of the water until the chili thins out to the consistency of a smoother pasta sauce — thick enough to draw a shape in, but not thick enough to form big mounds. What I like to do is add the water to the empty can of tomatoes and swish it about to get leftover tomato off the sides. Stir all of it up well and then leave it alone for about an hour or so. This will bring it up to temperature and melt the bacon fat.

Now throw in the rest of the ingredients except for the habaneros and the beans. Stew for around 4-5 hours, stirring once an hour, or whenever you feel like it. Get the stirring done fast so as to not lose too much heat.

I imagine you are wondering about the habanero… so tasty… but so hot! How do we control the heat? If we chopped them up fine and threw them in at the beginning, we would extract all of the capsaicin from them and the chili would be too hot for most. So we’re not going to do that. Instead, we are going to use the pepper itself as a kind of bouquet garnee. About halfway through that 4 to 5 hours, take the habaneros and cut through them twice, about three quarters of the way up along their length, leaving the top intact. This allows flavour to flow out of the pepper, but leaves them big enough to find later. Drop them in. Getting flavour from a habanero this way takes at least an hour, so on the next stir, break out your spoon and give your chili a taste. There should be a delightful floral-like smell and a slight fruit flavour as well as some heat. If it is hot enough for you, fish out the habaneros, gently shake the chili off of them, and throw them away. If you are like me and like lots of heat, leave them in until the end. If one of your habaneros is missing a quarter, don’t freak out, all you have to do is get most of it out to control the heat.

In the last hour or so, drain and stir in the beans. Tinned beans are already soaked and slightly mushy, so all you have to do is get them in there to absorb some flavour. Don’t drain the beans completely, in fact, adding a a tablespoon or so of the bean juice is often not a bad idea, as the slow cooker may have lost too much moisture over the last few hours. Nearing the end of the cooking we are expecting the chili to get stiffer, but no too stiff. When hot you should be able to pull a decent rounded spoonful from your bowl, but not ice cream sized chunks.

And that’s it. Spoon it into a bowl and enjoy!

Thanks to cobolhacker

Labels: bacon, beans, beef, cayenne, chili, chilipowder, cumin, garlic, habanero, onion, oregano, tomatoes

Posted by Steve at 12:05 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 3 tablespoons oil
• ½ pound sirloin, cubed (I buy stir-fry beef then cut the strips into small cubes with kitchen scissors)
• 2 tablespoons McCormick Montreal Steak seasoning
• ¾ box button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
• ¾ box cremini mushrooms (aka baby portobello), coarsely chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped (use some of the leafy tops, too)
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic (6 if they’re small), finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, finely chopped (you can remove
• some/all of the seeds if you prefer milder chili)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 bottle beer (any lager)
• 1 16-ounce can black beans (don’t drain)
• 1 16-ounce can crushed tomatoes (don’t drain)
• 1 cup beef stock
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

Garnish (optional):

• ½ cup mild yellow cheese (Gouda is a good choice), grated
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped

Heat a large, deep skillet over high heat.

Add 2 tablespoons oil, the meat, and the grill seasoning.

Sear the meat for 2-3 minutes, then reduce heat to medium and push meat to one side.

On the “clean” side of the skillet, add another tablespoon of oil, then the mushrooms. When the mushrooms begin to brown and shrink (about 2-3 minutes), stir them once quickly then push them off to the side with the meat.

Add the remaining vegetables (onion, celery, red pepper, and garlic) to the clean side of the skillet and cook for 2-3 minutes, then mix the meat, mushrooms, and vegetables together.

Add the Worcestershire, chipotle, and cumin. Stir quickly to mix, then add the beer.

Stir/scrape the bottom of the skillet well to deglaze. Simmer until the beer has reduced by half (about 2 minutes).

Taste, and if you want it spicier, you can add a little more (¼ teaspoon or so) adobo sauce from the can of peppers.

Add the beans, tomatoes, beef stock, and thyme and simmer for 10 minutes.

This dish only takes about 30 minutes to make.

Thanks to Lee at Olio

Labels: beans, beef, celery, cheese, chili, chipotle, cumin, garlic, mushrooms, onions, peppers, stock, thyme, tomatoes, worcestershiresauce

Posted by Steve at 7:37 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 1 kg braising steak, cut into 4cm chunks
• 1 bottle of beer
• 4 ancho chillies, stemmed and deseeded
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large onions roughly chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 400g tins whole, peeled plum tomatoes
• 75 ml cider vinegar
• 60 g brown sugar
• 1 tbsp Spanish paprika (preferably pimenton)
• 1 tbsp mild chilli powder
• 3 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
• 400 g tin kidney, borlotti or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
• salt and freshly ground pepper

Put the beef in a medium bowl, pour the beer over and leave to marinate for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid and pat the beef dry with kitchen paper.

Toast the chillies for 30 seconds in a dry saute pan then pour boiling water over and soak for 15 minutes or until soft. Drain and put in a food processor with the beer. Puree until fine and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat two tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the meat and sear in batches until evenly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add the remaining olive oil and saute the onions and garlic for five minutes. Put the meat back in the pan and pour the chilli mixture over.
advertisement

Puree the tomatoes in the food processor and add to the pan. Add the cider vinegar, brown sugar, paprika, chilli powder and cumin and season.

Cook partially covered with a lid, for one hour over low heat or until the meat is very tender. Add the beans in the last five minutes of cooking to warm through. Serve in small bowls with a choice of accompaniments: cooked rice, chopped red onion, coriander crackers.

Serves 4-6

Thanks to Gazette & Herald

Labels: beans, brownsugar, chili, chilipowder, cumin, garlic, hotpeppers, oliveoil, onions, paprika, tomatoes, vinegar

Posted by Steve at 9:57 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 3 packs Mama brand Thai instant pork noodles
• 1 large slab of ham cut into small cubes
• 1 head of cabbage, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 2 13oz bottles of Singha beer
• salt and pepper
• red chili powder (optional)

In a big pot, boil ramen w/sauce packets and cabbage in 3 cups of Singha beer for approx. 4min. Add ham and continue boiling and stirring for another 4min. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add red chili powder to make it spicy.

Thanks to BBD

Labels: cabbage, chili, ham, hot, noodles

Posted by Steve at 11:12 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder butt, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces or boneless country pork spareribs, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3 bacon slices, chopped
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup diced smoked ham
• 1 medium carrot, peeled, chopped
• 6 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 poblano chilies,* seeded, cut into 2x1/4-inch strips
• 2 cups drained canned hominy (from two 15-ounce cans)
• 1 cup canned diced tomatoes in juice
• 1 cup beer
• 1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Mix 1 tablespoon chili powder, salt, and pepper in bowl. Rub spice mixture all over pork. Sauté bacon in heavy large pot over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Working in batches, add pork to drippings in pot and sauté until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to bowl.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, ham, carrot, and garlic to pot; cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping up browned bits. Add chilies; stir 1 minute. Stir in hominy, tomatoes with juices, beer, broth, marjoram, pork, and remaining 2 teaspoons chili powder and bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until pork is very tender, about 1 hour. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and chill bacon. Cool stew slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.)

Simmer stew uncovered until liquid is slightly reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with reserved bacon and cilantro.

Thanks to epicurious

Labels: bacon, carrot, chili, cilantro, garlic, ham, hominy, onions, pork, stew, tomatoes

Posted by Steve at 7:43 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 1/2 lb ground meat (I usually use buffalo, venison, or elk)
• 12oz Beer (I prefer a dark ale)
• 24oz chunky tomato sauce
• 2 green, red, or yellow peppers (diced)
• 1 small chili pepper (finely chopped)
• 1 Large carrot (diced)
• 1 onion (diced)
• 2-3 stalks of celery (diced)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 C beans cooked or canned
• 1T ground cumin
• 1t chili powder or even cayenne powder
• salt to taste
• water or broth to use if a thinner consistency is desired

Brown the meat in a large pan. For a little extra flavour sprinkle some cumin, salt, and even garlic powder in the meat while cooking it. If using a very low-fat meat a little olive oil helps it to cook nicely. Remove the meat and set aside (refrigerator)

Add all the vegetables and spices (not the beans) to the pot. Add the beer. Simmer until the vegetables begin to soften, 30 minutes or so. Then add the tomato sauce and simmer awhile longer. If needed add some water or broth.

When the flavor and texture are near the desired result add the beans and meat. Perfect hearty chili for cold winter nights.

Thanks to burdockboy

Labels: beans, beef, carrot, cayenne, celery, chili, cumin, garlic, onion, peppers, stock, tomatoes

Posted by Steve at 11:30 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pounds ground sirloin (or beef chuck, trimmed, if you prefer)
• 6 to 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large white onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 small can of green chili’s
• 6 tablespoons chili powder
• 4 tablespoons ground cumin
• 4 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 - 8 dashes cayenne pepper, more if desired
• 2 (12 ounce) cans beer
• 1 cup strong black coffee
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes with puree
• 1 large tomato - coarsely chopped
• 3 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish
• Red onions, chopped, for garnish
• Limes, wedged, for garnish
• Oyster crackers or sliced baguette, for garnish

In a 5 quart pot, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and brown the meat, about 3 minutes on each side. Remove the meat. Add the garlic and onion, cook until soft. Return the meat to the pot. Add chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, cayenne, 1 can of beer (use rule #486; one for the pot, one for me…), green chili’s, crushed tomatoes and coffee. Simmer uncovered at a low temperature for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir occassionally. Don’t let it dry out, add beer as necessary (see rule #486). Add chopped tomato, kidney beans and second can of beer. Continue to simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour.

Serve garnished with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, squeeze of lime, or chopped red onions. Or all of the above.

Thanks to Common Place Book

Labels: beans, beef, cayenne, cheese, chili, coffee, cumin, garlic, onion, oregano, sourcream, tomatoes

Posted by Steve at 10:33 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 4 smoked turkey legs
• 1 large green bell pepper, diced
• 1 large yellow or white onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced or crushed
• 1 large can of puréed tomatoes (28 ounces)
• 1 small can of tomato sauce (14 ounces)
• 2 cans of kidney beans (15 ounces)
• 1/2 of a beer or 3/4 ounces of chicken or vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons of honey or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon of Hungarian paprika
• 2 tablespoons of chili powder

The problem with just substituting ground turkey for ground beef in most chili recipes is that turkey doesn't have the same rich flavor that beef does. Which means that the chili just ends up a bit bland. By substituting meat from smoked turkey legs (which you can either smoke yourself or find at the grocery already smoked) you add back some hearty flavor while still cutting down on fat content. The addition of more spices and herbs will also help carry the flavor over to this healthier version of chili.

Remove the skin from the turkey and discard (while it is flavorful, it is high in fat). Chop the meat and discard any bits of bone or cartilage. Place a dutch oven or large skillet over medium high heat and add the bell pepper, onion and olive oil. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5-7 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the bell pepper is soft. Add the garlic to the skillet and let it cook for about 2-3 minutes, or just until you can start to smell it. If you plan on cooking this in your slow cooker, you can now turn your cooker on and add the contents of your skillet. If you're cooking this in the dutch oven on your stovetop, lower the heat to medium low.

Add the tomato products and stir. Open the cans of kidney beans and drain and rinse them. Add them and all the other ingredients in the cooking vessel. Stir to combine, cover and let cook. If cooking in the slow-cooker, your chili will be done in about 2 hours if cooked on high, or 4 hours if cooked on low. If cooking on the stove, it will be done in 1 1/2 hours over medium low or 2 1/2 hours over low.

It's even better to make the chili the day before and store it in the friedge to be warmed up the next day. To cool it quickly, place ice from several trays in your sink. Fill your storage container or containers with chili, then nestle them into the ice and then add water until at least 1/2 but no more than 3/4 of the dishes are underwater. Let them rest until the ice melts and stir the chili occasionally to cool it evenly. Once it's cool to the touch you can cover them and place them in your refrigerator. The next day, pour the chili back into your slow-cooker or dutch oven and cook on low for 30 minutes to an hour or until it's steaming and warmed through. The flavor will be significantly better, and you'll be able to taste it to determine if you need to adjust the spices or add salt or sugar.
Serves 8-12.

Thanks to Gapers Block

Labels: beans, brownsugar, cayenne, chili, cilantro, cinnamon, cumin, garlic, honey, hot, onion, paprika, stock, tomatoes, turkey

Posted by Steve at 11:42 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 3 pounds stew meat (beef, pork, and/or lamb)
  
• 2 teaspoons peanut oil
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle of beer, preferably a medium ale
  
• 1 (16-ounce) container salsa
  
• 30 tortilla chips
  
• 2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, chopped
  
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the chipotle peppers in adobo)
  
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Place the meat in a large mixing bowl and toss with the peanut oil and salt. Set aside.

Heat a 6-quart heavy-bottomed pressure cooker over high heat until hot. Add the meat in 3 or 4 batches and brown on all sides, approximately 2 minutes per batch. Once each batch is browned, place the meat in a clean large bowl.

Once all of the meat is browned, add the beer to the cooker to deglaze the pot.
Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the meat back to the pressure cooker along with the salsa, tortilla chips, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and ground cumin and stir to combine. Lock the lid in place according to the manufacturer's instructions. When the steam begins to hiss out of the cooker, reduce the heat to low, just enough to maintain a very weak whistle. Cook for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully release the steam. Serve immediately with grated cheese and sour cream.

Thanks to Robin's Random Recipes

Labels: chili, chipotle, chips, cumin, meat, salsa

Posted by Steve at 2:49 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 1.5lbs of Ground Sirloin
• 1 lb of Bob Evans Hot Sausage
• 1 can of Tomato Sauce (12 oz.)
• 2 cans of Chili Beans
• 2 cans of Pinto Beans
• Salt
• Ground Chili Pepper
• Garlic
• Cumin
• Oregano
• Onion
• Paprika
• Cayenne Pepper
• 3 Bottles of Blue Moon Pale Ale

In a large pot, mix your 12 oz of Tomato Sauce, 8 oz of Water, 2 cans of Chili Beans, 2 cans of Pinto Beans, garlic, cumin, oregano, onion, paprika, cayenne pepper, ground chili pepper (i don’t measure it, I just eye it, so use at your own risk). Add 1 bottle of Blue Moon Pale Ale. Place on low heat, covered.

In a pan, brown 1.5 lbs of ground beef, drain fat, add to large pot.

In the same pain, brown 1lb of Bob Evans Hot Sausage, drain fat, add to large pot.

With all your ingredients in the pot, add 1 more bottle of Blue Moon Pale Ale. Cook until it looks good to ya, and serve with shredded cheddar and corn bread - and the 3rd bottle of Blue Moon Pale Ale.

Thanks to elemoose.com

Labels: beans, beef, chili, garlic, hot, sausage

Posted by Steve at 11:43 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 3 pounds stew meat (any red meat, or combination of meats will do just fine)
• 2 teaspoons peanut oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle of beer, preferably a medium ale (this helps control bitterness)
• 1 (16-ounce) container salsa (whatever's on sale)
• tortilla chips, crumbled (bottom of the bag stuff works great for this)
• 2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce, chopped
• 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from the chipotle peppers in adobo)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

Put the meat in a large mixing bowl and toss it with the oil and the salt. Set aside for a little while (about as long as it takes you to hunt down your wallet to pay off the foolish bet you made on the damn football game).

Using a 6 quart pressure cooker over a high flame, brown the meat in batches until brown evenly all around. About two to three minutes. When the meat is browned put it into a bowl that is lined with paper towels to drain.

When the meat is all browned use the beer in the cooker to deglaze the pot. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the meat back to the pressure cooker along with the salsa, tortilla chips, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, tomato paste, chili powder, and ground cumin and stir to combine. Lock the lid in place. When the steam begins to hiss out of the cooker, reduce the heat to low, just enough to maintain a very weak whistle. Cook for 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully release the steam. Serve immediately.

Link

Labels: beef, chili, chips, hot, peppers, salsa, tomoto paste

Posted by Steve at 1:32 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Note: This chili can be made using real meat as well. Drain after browning. Inspired by Karen R.

• 1 package (12 oz) of Fake Meat
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 green bell pepper (large)
• 1 red bell pepper (large)
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• vegetable oil
• 1 cup of amber beer
• 1 large can whole peeled tomatoes (28 oz)
• 2 cans of dark red kidney beans (15oz each)
• 1 can light red kidney beans (15oz)
• 1 can black beans (15oz)
• 1 can corn without liquid (I used 11oz vacuumed packed)
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp hot sauce
• kosher salt
• fresh ground black pepper
• grated cheddar cheese

Chop onion.

Seed and chop peppers.

Seed jalapeño pepper if desired (it will be less spicy if you do).

Put onion, peppers, jalapeno, and garlic into a bowl, set aside.

Open the 4 cans of beans, drain all liquid, set aside.

Open tomato can and put contents into a large bowl.
Hand crush them completely, removing large stringy bits as necessary.

In a small bowl combine cumin, chili powder, cayenne pepper, as well as 1 tsp of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper.

On Medium heat, coat the bottom of a large pot with oil (I only needed 1 1/2 tsp).

Add peppers, onion and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes (or until vegetables soften). Stir in beer to deglaze the pot.

Add tomatoes (including all liquid), beans (all 4 cans) and corn (be sure to drain if you did not use vacuum packed).

Stir to combine. Let simmer for a few minutes.

Add seasoning mix and hot sauce, stirring while adding.
Turn heat to low.

In a separate frying pan, season fake meat with salt and chili powder, then brown.

Once browned add to pot. If using real meat, do not add excess grease to pot.

Stir to combine.

Add salt to taste (and other seasonings if necessary).

Cook on low until desired thickness, it will need to simmer for at least an hour.
Be sure to stir often so it doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.

Serve topped with cheddar cheese.

Link

Labels: beans, cheddar, cheese, chili, corn, garlic, hot, onion, peppers, tomatoes

Posted by Steve at 1:21 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 1 large bunch fresh collard greens – you could also use turnip greens or other braising greens
• 1 onion
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. Bragg’s amino acids
• 1 T molasses
• 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 bottle of dark beer
• 2-4 c. of vegetable broth

Clean the collard greens thoroughly; they take much more washing than you would expect. Any dirt you miss will be very gritty in the final product. Some people say to put them in a bowl of water and swish the dirt off, dump that water out, and then repeat that several times. I’m always surprised by how dirt clings to them so stubbornly. I honestly might have given up on making them (or at least would have relegated them to a weekend-only food) if we hadn’t been able to start getting pre-washed collard greens at our farmer’s market on Saturdays.

Chop your greens into smaller pieces.

Chop the onion.

Put the olive oil in the bottom of a very large, preferably non-stick pot. (I use our biggest pot, because the greens take up so much space before they are cooked.) Heat on medium-high heat until the oil is hot; then cook the onion pieces in the oil until they soften some. Turn the heat down to medium.

Toss in the chili powder, Bragg’s, Worcestershire sauce, and molasses, and stir around. Pour in the dark beer, and stir it all together. Stir the collard greens into the pot, and then add broth until the greens are just barely (or even mostly) covered. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let them simmer, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Labels: chili, collard greens, hot, molasses, onion

Posted by Steve at 9:43 PM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

• 2 Cups Onion, finely chopped
• 1 ½ Cups Carrots, finely chopped
• ½ Cup Celery, finely chopped
• 1 ½ Cups Red or Green Pepper, finely chopped
• 2-3 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 8 Tsp. Chili Powder
• 2 Tsp. Ground Cumin
• ¼ - ½ Tsp. Crushed Red Peppers or Ground Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ Cup Fresh Cilantro or Fresh Parsley, chopped
• 1 14.5 oz. Can of Diced Tomatoes, undrained
• 1 14.5 oz. Can of Mexican Diced Tomatoes with Peppers, Undrained (if you don't want the heat, use 2 cans regular)
• 4-15 oz. Cans of Black-Eyed Peas, drained
• 2 4 oz. Cans of Chopped Green Chiles
• 3 Cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth and Beer
• 13 oz. Pkg. Of Fully Cooked Smoked Andouille Sausage, chopped
• 2 Tab. Cornstarch
• 4 Tab. Water
• Garnish: Shredded Cheddar or Jack Cheese, Chopped Cilantro, Sliced Green Onions, Sliced Hot Peppers

Combine all ingredients except the cornstarch, water, and garnishes in your slow cooker. Cover. Cook on low 6-8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

Dissolve cornstarch in water. Stir in chili 30 minutes before serving to thicken.

Serve chili in bowls. Top with your choice of garnishes.

Thanks to wcpo.com

Labels: cheese, chili, hot, peas, peppers, sausage, tomatotoes

Posted by Steve at 8:29 AM | Permalink | Comments | links to this post